City boost for tourists

Around 1,300 historical buildings in six Shanghai districts have been equipped with QR codes to give tourists information in Chinese and English while 1,088 are open to the public, Shanghai's cultural and tourism authorities said on Monday at a work conference.

Visitors can read text, listen to audio, watch videos or even have virtual reality tours of structures in Jing'an, Xuhui, Huangpu, Changning, Hongkou and Yangpu simply by scanning the code with their smartphones.

A total of 87 walking tour routes covering historical buildings in the city have been released, the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism said.

By the end of 2020, all historical buildings in the city will have QR codes and be open to the public if conditions permit, said Yu Xiufen, director of the administration.

Walking tours and lectures will be organized to get more residents involved, and more tour routes covering these buildings will be developed, she said.

Meanwhile, the city's landmark Huangpu River cruise tours had been enjoyed by more than 4.5 million tourists by the end of October and the figure is expected to exceed 5 million by the end of the year, a surge of over 30 percent from last year. Diverse cruise options have been offered on the river to make the iconic Huangpu River cruise a world-class attraction, according to the administration.

"The city will further improve public tourist attractions like Huangpu River, Suzhou Creek areas and countryside parks, and develop tourist itineraries blending cruise tours on the river and attractions on the banks," said Yu.

The goal is to make the Huangpu River cruise tour a must for tourists from home and abroad, she said.

Also, 60 minsu (B&Bs) in the Pudong New Area and Jinshan, Fengxian, Qingpu, Jiading and Chongming districts have been licensed after city authorities released a guideline in September last year to encourage their development and regulate the market.

A service platform covering the city's countryside tourism and minsu will be launched, with a suburban tourism insurance system established, the bureau said.

The city app called "You Shanghai" which gives tourists access to Shanghai's latest cultural and tourism resources and allows them to book plane and train tickets, accommodation and entry to tourist attractions has registered around 86,000 users within a month of its launch in September, the administration said.

An English version of the app, "Visit Shanghai," is due to be launched next year.

The functions of the city's tourist information centers will be lifted and more unisex facilities and separate rooms for baby care will be established at toilets in tourist attractions, said Yu.